Serve and rules
Ready when: Push, drive and placement (b3) started.
What you are learning
A legal serve (from behind the end line, the ball tossed up from an open hand, bouncing on your own side first, then the other side), and the rules of a game: to 11 points, two serves each, two clear points at 10 all. Then the third ball: attacking the ball that comes back after your serve.
Words on this card Forehand, End line, Toss, Push, Drive, Third ball
- Forehand
- Hitting on your bat-hand side, or across the body on the other side.
- End line
- The back edge of the table, behind which you serve.
- Toss
- Throwing the ball up from an open hand before serving.
- Push
- A short, gentle stroke under the ball that sends it back low with backspin.
- Drive
- A straight, firm forward stroke.
- Third ball
- The server's next hit after the return; the planned run of serve, return, attack, defence, attack.
Show it first for the one teaching
- Stand behind the end line; rest the ball on an open, flat hand where the other player can see it.
- Toss it straight up, let it fall, and hit it so it bounces on your side, then on theirs.
- Play a few points and call the score, swapping the serve every 2 points.
Your part while they practise
Referee; check the toss.
Step by step
- A legal serve: from behind the end line, the ball visible, tossed up, bouncing on your own side first.
- Serve to paper targets; the child chooses the size.
- Play a game to 11, two serves each, two clear points at 10 all.
How much: 20 serves and 1 game 12 min a session 3 days a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Serve and third ball
Serve, the partner pushes it back, then attack the third ball; score from 20 tries.
Who plays: 2 players, swapping after 20 serves.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- The server serves
- The partner pushes the ball back gently
- The server attacks it with a drive onto the table
- 20 serves each
- Fair play
- A grown-up serves backhand only.
- Points
- 1 point for a legal serve; 2 points for a third-ball attack that lands on the table.
- Fouls
- No points for that try
- The ball dropped, not tossed up
- Serving from over the end line
- The serve skips your own side
- Winning
- More points after 20 serves each.
- 25 points for 1 star
- 40 points for 2 stars
- 52 points for 3 stars
Easier or harder
Serve from near the net.
Serve short to a small target.
What you will see, and what to say
- the toss is low
Toss it up and let it fall
Up, then hit. - the serve skips your side
Bounce on your side first, then theirs
Two bounces.
Self-check
6 of 10 serves land on the target.
Fitness for this
Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.
This card trains serve, rules.
awiseathlete.com/sports/table-tennis/table-tennis-b4